Deus Ex Machina
by Nevermore22
Summary: Espio finds himself in a terrible situation when an old enemy returns to exact revenge. Rating may change.
1. Default Chapter

Author Notes: Phweehah! Another random ficceh from the weird mind of Nevermore! This is completely unrelated to all my other ficcehs. And, yes, I will **eventually** have the sequel to Captive up.. I just have to get working on it.. o_o *cattleprods muses*

Special thanks to Alba Aulbath and Slaye Une for listening to my ideas and giving me proper feedback. ^^b Thanks, guys!

And I apologize if the fic's format is a bit screwy. Stupid laptop doesn't have a good word program. O_o;

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 Deus Ex Machina 

            A groan birthed into existence, as amber eyes began to open. Vision was clouded at first, as it tended to be when one begins to awaken. The mind struggled to lift itself from the depths of sleep; Espio Chameleon wondered what awoke him from a rather pleasant dream.

            It took a few brief seconds to realize exactly what had awoken him; the cracks of thunder sounded, unusually muffled, from the outside. A typical dark and stormy night, he mused.

            Vision finally cleared, and he glanced around, expecting the familiar sights of his home; he became shocked when all he could see was metal. A small room with metal walls, divided down the middle by thick, metal bars.

            Espio tried to recall what happened the night before to lead him to a place like this.

            He had been with his friends; the group known as the Chaotix had taken a night to relax and to enjoy themselves, and had gone to see a movie and to simply 'hang out'. Had Vector spiked his soda again? The last time the crocodile had done so, the chameleon teen awoke on a park bench wearing a pair of leather pants he never could recall buying.

            A new groan escaped; that must have been what happened. He was probably in an EST holding cell. There was nothing left to do now but wait for an officer or, if he were lucky, Constable Remington to free him.

            _I am going to kill Vector._ Espio fumed.

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            "Hey, where's Espio?" Came a confused query from Mighty Armadillo. "He's usually here by now."

            The Chaotix, save Espio, sat around a table within the food court in Echidnopolis Mall; they were meeting again, intending both serious and entertaining matters.

            Vector shrugged, tossing a potato chip into his mouth. "Dunno. Haven't seen him since last night."

            Knuckles gave the crocodile a sideways glare, sipping quietly from a cup of soda. "Please tell me you didn't.."

            Vector huffed indignantly, "I swear, I didn't put anything in his drink this time!" He paused; a small grin began to creep along his face. "Though, you gotta admit, what happened last time.."

            "Maybe he just overslept." Julie-Su interrupted the crocodile, wincing slightly; the embarrassing tale had been told too many times for her comfort. "Rainbow Valley isn't far from here."

            Knuckles continued to stare at Vector, amused. "Let's head out, then."

            There was a momentary pause, as the various teenagers cleaned up after themselves.

            "By the way, Vector.." Knuckles began. "What **did** you put in his drink last time?"

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            A door slid open within the second half of the cell; Espio perked up at the sound. Without a clock, he was unable to tell how long it had been since he had awoken, but it felt, to the teen, as if it had been at least an hour.

            He opened his mouth, fully intended to blame anything that had happened or may have happened squarely on Vector. However, once he recognized who walked into the cell, he was unable to make a sound.

            If it had been anyone other than Espio within the cell, all that it would have been was another victim of Dr. Eggman's tyranny; a roboticized chameleon stood there. Metal scales, lavender in shade, shone brilliantly under artificial lights; had the creature possessed facial expressions, it may have very well smiled.

            Espio had hoped that he would never see the creature that had once been his best friend again; Valdez, in his current state, represented everything he feared.

            Thoughts churned within a shocked mind; assumptions were quickly changed and reformed. Valdez was standing before him, simply staring, glaring, in silence.

            Oh. **Oh.**

            _Oh, shit._

He suddenly wished that Vector **had** tampered with his soda.__

            Espio blanched; his scales literally turned white. "How..?" It was all he was able to ask; coherency had been lost.

            "You honestly didn't think a **river** could have killed me, could you?" Clearly gloating with a mechanical tone. "It takes more than **that** to take me down."

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            "..What in all the hells?" Mighty could simply stare at the chaos that Rainbow Valley had become.

            Chameleons stood in shock as their children wailed in fear and confusion; several treetop homes, visible only due to damage taken, appeared as if they had been attacked. Burns marked bark, and blood marked the grass.

            "Guardian!" A mustard-yellow chameleon nearly covered in spikes ran towards the shocked Chaotix. "Robots came at us from nowhere really early in the morning! We didn't stand a chance!"

            "Robots?!" Knuckles, as well as his friends, blanched visibly immediately. "We didn't hear about any attack at all!"

            "The elders really don't like us talking with other people." The yellow chameleon shrugged, then winced; his eyes widened, as if recalling the frightening details of the attack. "The robots took Espio!"

            "**What?!**"

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            Espio moaned as he pressed a gloved hand over a bloody gash; stopping the flow of blood was proving to be difficult at best. Still, he tried to stop the blood, tried to think of other ways in which to do so, and, most importantly, tried to keep his mind away from what was happening.

            He supposed he was in shock; Valdez had beaten him, had gloated while he did so, and had released information that frightened him. They were aboard an airship en route to Robotropolis.

            If Valdez had his way, Espio would be roboticized. The metal chameleon had claimed that, after his flesh would be twisted into everything he did not want it to be, they would be friends again.

            Espio did not want to admit it, but he was terrified. The last time he had experienced this level of fear, another chameleon had been within the roboticization chamber; Liza had been lost, that day.

            Being who he was and everything that had happened, a spark of hope, of optimism, remained; the Chaotix were still upon the island; perhaps, by now, they noticed his absence. Perhaps they knew that he had been taken. Espio knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his friends would do everything they could to free him.

            A great rumble suddenly shook the room; Espio gasped in surprise and fear. Such a short time had passed; how long had he been lost in fearful thoughts? 

Could they already be landing? Could they already be in Robotropolis?

            Espio trembled slightly as the door slid open anew.

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Author Notes: And end chappy one there. :3

Espio: Why do you pick on me? Every fic I'm in, you horribly torture me. Why!? :/

Nevermore: Because yer my favorite Chaotix member. It's what I do. ^__^v

Espio: Grrr.

Nevermore: *shoves Espio in The Closet and locks him in*

Espio: O_O Noo! Not here again!

Nevermore: Bwahaha. Anyway, viva la feedback! ^^ I feed on suggestions and praises! Even flames! HUZZAH!


	2. Chapter Two

Authors notes: Yes, yes, I know, I know. Short chapters, and I still haven't put out the next chapter of Encased Relations or put out the first chapter of Captive's sequel. It'll come in time. College has just taken over my life and all. As it stands, I write most if this stuff in the ten to twenty minutes between classes. ^^;

Special thanks to Alba Aulbath and Slayne, who give me feedback on ideas before I apply them. ^^b

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Deus Ex Machina Chapter Two 

            Every creature in existence has a subconscious list of situation they never wish to experience. Fear, famine, pain; the list is normally the same, no matter the difference in individuality. However, when one lives during a time of war, the list is extended towards individual factors.

            Being dragged out of a prisoner transport ship by heavily armed Swatbots had been rather high on Espio the chameleon's list.

            Struggle was involuntary; pulling and twisting against metal grasp, shade changing constantly in complete fear; it seemed, for the moment, as if there was no hope. The Swatbots had done this countless times before.

            A blue robot, reminiscent of his breed, stood several feet in front of the entrance to a rather foreboding building; somehow, Espio knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what was inside.

            Shade changed faster, struggling increased into a furious tempo. 

It did not matter.

"Valdez, please!" The prisoner yelled more than cried out, calling upon sympathy that likely no longer existed. "Don't do this!"

            A blank, metallic glare was his only response. 

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            "How long would it take us to get to Robotropolis?" Mighty was first to ask the question; rescue was foremost upon all their minds.

            "Too long." Came a regretful reply from the current Guardian of the island. "By the time we get there, anything could have happened."

            "Then what do we do?" The only female amongst the Chaotix asked. "We aren't leaving him."

            "No. No, we aren't." Knuckles frowned, clearly troubled by the situation as a whole. "We need to make a call."

--------------------

            It was his worst nightmare becoming real.

            The Swatbots literally tossed their prisoner into the large, circular chamber; his side came down harshly upon the metal floor. He found himself not caring about the pain.

            Blood leaked from aggravated wounds, dripping upon the floor; long dried crimson displayed previous horror. Briefly, he wondered whose blood it belonged to, which of the many robot slaves the blood once ran through.

            Wondered if his fate lied down the same path.

            He realized, suddenly, that he was terrified.

            He lifted himself from the cold floor of the machine, prepared to pound his fists upon the glass and call upon his lost friend again, when he caught sight of a new robot. Pink metal gleamed under artificial light. 

"Liza.." Came a stunned whisper. Catching sight of the two metal creatures that were once of his kind, desperation mounted.

            "Liza! Valdez! Please, don't do this! Help me!"

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            "Espio was captured? When did **that** happen?" Sonic the hedgehog asked in utter surprise; shock was expressed clearly across the videophone screen.

            "Some time last night, we think." Knuckles grumbled. He sighed slightly. "Listen, Sonic, just get the word out. We're headed out to you guys as soon as possible, but we can't get there in time to save him. You're group is closest to Robotropolis. Just.." He paused, sighed again. "Just save him, okay?"

            "No problemo, Knux. We'll make sure he'll be okay."

--------------------

            The floor gave a sudden crackle, electricity charging through metal plates. It spread to the smooth glass and metal ceiling, like a virus taking the life of its host. Amber eyes widened in alarm, darting about in chaotic fear.

            The end was near, it seemed.

            "No!" A desperate scream, mangled and shrill in terror. Gloved fists pounded against the glass. If he had hair, if he had fur, it likely would have been on end.

            The blue robot that had once been his friend sent a curt nod towards a Swatbot at the controls. The charge quickly turned from near static to remote pain.

            The poundings ceased; the screams abated. Palms flattened themselves against the glass, and a face that was still flesh could only stare at his once-friends in despair.

            For all intent and purpose, roboticization was death. His life was about to end.

            He did not want to die.

            Eyes closed of their own accord; two tears escaped in unison. He believed they would be the last tears he would ever be able to shed. Despair settled into a hardened pit within his gut; collapsing to his knees, but not from the pain, he internally prepared himself.

            Even as the pain began to climb, he silently prayed.

            That was when the impossible happened.

            "Hold it right there!"

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Espio: Wow. Two chapters in, and I haven't been horribly mutilated, yet. What's the occasion?

Author: *glances around* _ _ *evil grins* :D

Espio: ….. Oh, crappit.

Author: Kyahaha. Viva la feedback, readers! ^^b I live off of critique!


	3. Chapter Three

Author Notes: Er, sorry it took so long for this. ^^;; I put it off and then.. I kinda just forgot.

Espio: Why?! Why couldn't you have just forgotten it completely?! x___x;

Author: ^^;;

Special thanks to Katwarrior for inspiring me enough to get off my tush, and Morla La Slayne (stop changing your username! ^^;; I get confused too easily as it is!) for just being insane enough to keep giving me evil ideas.

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Deus Ex Machina: Chapter Three 

**"God from the Machine"**

            It had not been what he was expecting at all.

            When Espio heard the voice past the depressed numbness that the pain and misery, not recognizing it for what it was, hope had briefly flickered; why else would the roboticization stop, other then rescue?

            The flicker of hope had been enough to cause the teen to turn, wanting to see who his possible savior might be.

            He had not been expecting his 'savior' to be the reason he was there; he had not been expecting Dr. Eggman to stop the forced servitude that was roboticization.

            For a few brief seconds, nothing happened; it seemed as if Valdez was in as much shock as his flesh counterpart. It took a single glare from the planets' dictator to shut down the systems.

            Wary, frightened confusion overtook the captive youth's mind; he would, however, not admit to the fear. He glared with anger at the large man, despite the tears he was still unable to stop.

            "Lord Eggman?" Valdez was first to ask, confusion and slight anger lacing the metal tone.

            "Why was I not informed that we had a captive?" Eggman was clearly angry, voice booming, echoing slightly around the chamber.

            "I.." It was very rare for Valdez to be at a loss for words. 

Liza physically hid behind the control console in fear, but managed to speak despite the emotion. "M-My lord, he's a Freedom Fighter. We thought that you would be happier if he was in your power as soon as possible."

            Eggman raised an eyebrow, glaring at his two metal servants with skepticism. He then turned to stare at the center of their conversation.

            The tears had stopped by then, but their marks were still evident; a glare was all Espio gave the man of hate, stepping away from the glass.

            Silence stood for a long moment, before Eggman turned back to his servants. "Take him to the cell next to lab 4-B." A brief glance was sent back to the prisoner. "He can be put to better use than this."

--------------------------

            "Uhm, Sally? I think we have a bit of a problem.."

            Princess Sally Acorn blinked once, looking away from interior schematics of Robotropolis. "Rotor? What's wrong?"

            "Knuckles' friend isn't showing up in any of the systems." Clear confusion. "Nothing in the recent prisoner files, nothing in the newly robiticized Mobians.. According to Eggman's files, there haven't been any new captives in the past month and a half."

            At first, mild shock was all that replaced Sally's confusion. It was only after she took the few short steps to the computer console her large friend sat at and looked over the files herself did the information truly make an impact.

            "This doesn't make any sense. There are no other active bases outside of Robotropolis. He **has** to be in that system somewhere."

            Rotor could only shrug helplessly, unsure how to respond. "I'll keep looking, but if he isn't in the system.."

            "Then he's either not in Robotropolis, or already dead." Sally finished, frowning. "Knuckles isn't going to like this."

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            Trembles wracked a form enshrouded in darkness, despite the sheer will placed in the attempt to keep still; where he had been placed had not been what he expected, and now it frightened him.

            When Espio had heard the word 'cell', he had assumed that it would be just that; steel walls, barred doors, and a small size that usually entails a short stay. He had not expected to be literally thrown into what barely passed as a closet, heavy door slamming closed. There was no light; no bulb in the ceiling and there were no slits for outside light to pass through.

            Espio had tried to hide a hidden fear of such places from his friends. He had always assumed he would be teased for it, or, at the least, it could be used against him.

            Espio Chameleon was claustrophobic.

            He did not bother to bang against the door; it refused to budge the few times he attempted to move it, he doubted further attempt would do much good. There was little idea how long he had even been in the 'cell', save that it was likely at least half an hour.

            Shivers of inconsolable fear wracked his form, even as he slid along the wall to the ground. There was no room to stretch out, let alone sit properly; the extent the enclosure allowed was to pull his knees against his body.

            A sigh escaped, and he continued to try and calm himself. There was nothing left to do but wait.

-----------------------

            "What do you mean he's **not there**?!" Knuckles practically growled over the slight static.

            "We tracked him in Eggman's systems to the transport, but then he vanishes off the systems. We're trying to hack into the encrypted files to see if he's anywhere in there, but.." Sally winced on her end of the videophone connection. "Nothing yet."

            A frustrated grimace passed over Knuckles' face. The Guardian and the remaining Chaotix were aboard a shuttle en route to Knothole, and had been contacted half way through their trip. "So, what does this mean? What do we do?"

            A sigh escaped Sally's lips. "Sonic is already more than willing to go through Robotropolis personally for this, but that's a last resort." She paused for a moment, but took stock of her friends' reaction; almond-shaped eyes appeared slightly watered, despite the video screen, but the Guardian of Angel Island refused to shed a tear. "Knuckles, he's not in the recently Roboticized list. He may very well **not** be a robot. Espio could still be in Robotropolis, alive and still himself."

            Knuckles sighed, clearly upset by the situation. "I hope so, Sally. I hope so."

---------------------

            When the door to the small cell finally opened, the young chameleon was huddled against the floor, shivering violently. Dr. Eggman simply raised a brow at this reaction, bemused. "Grab him."

            Two Swatbots grabbed for the captives' arms, receiving no reaction for a brief moment; once the florescent lights of the adjacent room met purple flesh, Espio seemed to realize what was happening.

            "H-hey!" Came a startled yelp; suddenly, struggles were made.

            The closet-cell led directly into a large room full of medical and laboratory equipment, machines lining the walls and a large, metal table directly in the center of the room. Amber eyes caught sight of the table before anything else; immediately, Espio knew that he would be strapped down to it.

            Despite the struggles, the Swatbots managed to get him atop the cold steel and underneath thick, plastic straps. His ankles, wrists, waist, neck and tail were held firmly; he could not move.

            Denial loomed as Dr. Eggman tapped at controls and moved from machine to machine, chortling quietly to himself.

            _This can **not** be happening._ _What is he going to do to me?_ Suddenly, roboticization seemed far preferable to what a mad doctor could do with his still living body.

            Eggman laughed aloud, a dark, wicked chortle, taking Espio away from horrified musings. "Let's begin, shall we?"

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Author Notes: Hey, another chapter without any disturbing violence or gore. Go me! O_o;

Espio: Not a promising cliffhanger, though. It just promises all sorts of violence. c_c

Author: Exactly! ^__^

Espio: *glare* v_v

Author: Kyaha. Viva la feedback! ^^


	4. Chapter Four

Author Notes: ..Writers blocked kicked me in the head, and it took me four months to get over it. X.c I swear, I'll try to get stuff done quicker, now. ;.;

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Bwahaha! All I have is my Espio plushie!

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**_A traitor's embrace_**

**_How foolish, How wrong_**

**_Contained in one place_**

**_Anxiety spawns_**

**_Unopened, Renowned_**

**_What's needed, upscaled_**

**_Digested, Inhaled_**

**_Unwilling, Unwound_**

**-- 'Flesh Into Gear', CKY**

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**Deus Ex Machina**

**"God from the Machine"**

The return of conscious, within itself, was an unusual sensation; more for the lack of recollection than for anything else. Eyes widened in sudden panic, only to be met with darkness. Hands moved, only to be met with enclosed walls. It did not take long to realize where he was.

He was back within that hated closet, Espio realized.

What had happened? The last thing the chameleon could recall was being strapped down to a table. He tried to think, then, tried to recall what had happened.

He had been sedated.

Why? Why would Eggman have taken the trouble to sedate him? Not that it was a complaint; merely a suspicion against a malicious creature that obviously enjoyed the pain of others.

A sudden pain from the side of his skull interrupted his thoughts. A hand moved up, more reflex than conscious effort; what was found brought a stunned shock.

Stitches; protection over a rather large gash. There was no blood; merely the result of an injury he could not recall acquiring. The only other alternative, what was likely the source of the healed wound, deeply disturbed the chameleon teen; Eggman had literally tampered with his mind.

Espio trembled in a fear that had nothing to do with claustrophobia.

---------------------------------------------

He was pulled away from the darkness that coated both mind and body; metal hands grasped at his arms, keeping him still. As with the previous time, it took the young chameleon several seconds to return to his own mind.

Eggman stared at his captive with nothing short of amusement; he had witnessed pain and fear countless times before, but very rarely the sense of detachment that this boy seemed to show. Twice, now, had the teen been placed within and taken from the small, dark cell, and twice had it seemed as if his mind left his body. The irrational fear that the darkness caused was quite amusing to the mad doctor.

The planet's dictator motioned for the two metal slaves to strap him to the table again. It was then that Espio realized what was happening.

"Bastard!" Admittingly, it was a trait he had picked up from Vector; when afraid, respond in anger. "What did you do to me!?"

"Get him down." Eggman smiled, only amused further by the vocal eruption. "And put this on him." Something small was tossed through the air, caught by one of the Swatbots.

Trapped again despite struggles, Espio did not see what was given to the robot until it was a moment too late; he opened his mouth in preparation for a further demand, when metal was practically shoved in his mouth. He gagged, even as the Swatbot tied it securely around his skull. Several short seconds were spent realizing it was a metal gag, keeping his mouth tightly shut.

At first, the presence of the gag utterly infuriated the captive teen; then, queries passed along his mind as to the why, and fear began to ascend.

"Is the equipment ready?" Eggman chortled, holding what Espio thought looked like a supermarket label scanner.

"Yes, my lord." Liza's metallic voice came from beyond his sight. He looked around as much as the straps allowed, but could not see her.

"Begin test, then." Came from Eggman again, as the device was pressed against his side. Flesh trembled lightly at the touch.

A small 'beep' came, before a great pain erupted. Had he not been strapped down, Espio would have arched his back in the sudden agony; red and black swirled along his vision, dancing with nameless colors as the torture raged on, unable to do much but convulse and hyperventilate around the gag. Misery and pain crashed along the shore of torment, for an eternity that lasted all of five seconds.

The pain left with a sudden stop; even after the end, he could not stop his body from trembling, could not stop the pained whimpers from escaping a throat abused by screams he could not fully recall releasing. The misery was interrupted by the nearly sudden voices around him.

"Report." Eggman, stern and commanding.

"A success, Lord Eggman." Liza's voice, again, emotionless, neutral. "The subject's right kidney, as well as approximately one centimeter of surrounding internal flesh, has been successfully roboticized."

It took the still pained chameleon several seconds from understanding what his former friend had said.

Oh, God. Oh, **God.**

"Excellent!" Eggman chortled, gleefully. It sent convulsions of fear along his flesh. "Prepare the second test." The captive youth nearly choked on the gag.

None noticed the pair of horrified eyes staring out from the darkness.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Princess?"

Sally looked up with a start; she hadn't expected Geoffry to interrupt quite so soon.

The transport from the floating island had arrived a long hour beforehand, and the young princess had spent that time trying to comfort the emotionally distraught Chaotix.

Speaking of which; Knuckles practically growled from his seat, glaring at the skunk. "St. John, if you don't have a good reason for this.."

Geoffry did not seem phased by the Guardian's words. "Princess, we found him."

Silence reigned for several shocked seconds. After the shock had passed, Knuckles was the first to ask the queries. "When was this?! Is he all right?! Where is he!?"

Geoffry's maintained silence, but moved aside, away from the doorway; Sally found the behavior odd, but could not give it further thought. Hershey walked through the doorway, eyes wide, appearing as shocked as the rest. Geoffry gave the feline a comforting stare; it was only then that she was able to speak.

Sally was shocked from the behavior alone; Hershey was usually bright eyed and strong, and certainly had never had trouble delivering news before.

"I was looking through Eggman's files. I had done that, before, to find Valdez." At that, both feline and polecat bowed their heads in grief. "I couldn't find him in the system, so I went back through the vents on my way back. That's when.. I.." Suddenly, it seemed, she could not speak.

"Hershey?" Sally frowned. This could not be good. "What happened?"

"Oh, God, princess.." Geoffry helped Hershey to the closest chair, even as she began to shudder in recollection. "I heard **screaming**."

"Screaming?!" Knuckles gasped; the rest of the Chaotix shared expressions of horror.

"I made my way through the vents as fast as possible," Now, she spoke in a rush, as if trying to get it out before shock and horror could creep back in. "and stopped in front what, I swear, I thought it was a lab of some kind, and I saw Espio strapped down to this table. Eggman was doing **some**thing to him with this weird device, and every time he turned it on, he screamed and, oh God.." Hershey began to rock back and forth, clearly horrified by what she had seen.

Those present could only stare in horror and shock; they did not know exactly what had happened, what is happening, but knew that their friend was in horrible pain, and that they were not there to stop it.

"We're going to get him back **now**." Knuckles suddenly raged. "I don't care what we do, but we have to get him back **now**!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

There was nothing else to do now, but wait.

Convulsions of fear wracked the form enshrouded in darkness; the irrational paranoia of the enclosed space, as well as memory of what had happened and knowledge of what was to come, had shunted the usually strong chameleon into a spiral of despair and malcontent. There was little idea how long the mad doctor had experimented with his flesh, nor was there exact numbers on how many times his organs had been changed.

It had felt, to the young man, as if the pain had lasted an eternity; his flesh had been transformed at different stages. The cruel doctor wanted to see how much could be changed at one time, if certain organs that were flesh could coexist with metal, if some could even be changed at all. He had gone into convulsions at some points, betrayed by his own body; he had succumbed to the pain and the darkness at the first and only attempt to roboticize his heart.

At the end of it all, at the blissful end to the screams, whimpers and supplication that he could not get past the gag, eight short syllables nearly shattered his world anew.

_"We'll begin again tomorrow."_

He would have screamed at what it had meant, had the gag not been left on; he wondered, briefly, if it had been intentional or not.

Thus, he was left within the small, enclosed space again, waiting in fear and dread, robbed of sight and speech.

That was when the unexpected occurred; a voice from beyond the darkness. "I hadn't meant for this to happen."

Valdez. Outside, likely next to the door. A metallic voice, wrapped in sincerity. He banged his fists and palms against the door, begging for release in the only way possible.

"I'm sorry." With that, the voice was gone.

It did not ease the captured mind.

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Explosions rocked the steel and metal city with the proficiency and timing of a well laid plan; even as they wrecked havoc upon unliving and reanimated bodies, a cobalt blur streaked along the streets, blasting through metal, swiftly dodging the flesh of allies.

There were three sets of cells within Robotropolis; all were being checked. All were proved fruitless.

With one last place to venture, hope waning at the lack of results, the first to arrive at the destination was the group most desperate for an end. The Guardian of the floating island and the Chaotix were within the laboratory marked '4-B' as quickly as they could accomplish.

Almond shaped eyes surrounded by crimson fur looked around with careful precision; the equipment and connotations it implied sent shivers down Knuckles' spine.

"He's not in here!" Came a nearly mournful wail from his armadillo companion. "He's not here!"

Knuckles held up a hand for silence; violet eyes inspected the room, listening for any helpful sound beyond the echoes of explosions.

That was when he heard it; soft 'thump's. Several steps were taken in the direction of its origin, before he understood. "Mighty, tear down the walls! I think he's behind them!"

"Behind the walls?" The thick voice of a crocodile asked in surprise, even as the armadillo did as told.

That was where they found the tormented chameleon, sitting with his knees drawn up in an impossibly small space, eyes wide and gagged.

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****

**_Flesh into gear_**

**_Myself_****_ appears dissected and pretentious_**

**_A simple sound, A heavy sigh_**

**_You'll win the whole world over_**

**_You'll live in fear of being someone that you didn't want to_**

**_I realize your insecurities will get the best of you_**

****

**-- 'Flesh Into Gear', CKY**

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Author Notes: Bwahaha! That's a wrap for this chappy. I even got a song to fit into it all, somehow. ;;

Espio: x.x -- fainted in the closet

Author: ..He'll come out of it, eventually. XD

Response to reviews:

Mermaid Ninja: Liza was in the Archie version of the Sonic Comics, as well as Valdez, a while ago.

Pumpkin Smasher: ..There was a song? No, no, no relation. Deus Ex Machina means 'God from the Machine' in ancient Greek. I think. ;

Viva la feedback! I love comments and suggestions! :D


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